City officials, mayors learn about bond issuesJ. Shepherd Russell III, senior partner of Friday, Eldredge & Clark, answered questions from mayors from Dardanelle and Morrilton, Russellville city officials and members of City Corp. on Wednesday at City Hall. Russellville City Council Finance Committee Chairman Mark Tripp was the only alderman who attended. Dardanelle Mayor Carolyn McGee and first-term Morrilton Mayor Allen Lipsmeyer also attended. City Corp. is seeking a total of $71 milli...

Hector's finances improveHECTOR — A consideration of the district’s financial status and a change to the scheduled graduation date were the major items of business during the Hector Board of Education meeting this week. Superintendent Walt Davis told the board — as they reviewed the detailed monthly reports required by the Arkansas Department of Education listing Hector schools as being in fiscal distress — that the increasing balances reflected real improvement, even...

Major issues cited at Fire Station 3Improperly constructed concrete has created major concerns at the Russellville Fire Department's Fire Station 3 on North Arkansas Avenue. Not only has the foundation shifted, interior walls have rotted and harmful mold and bacteria have infiltrated the heating and cooling system, in what Chief John Cochran called "design problems" during a tour of the facility Friday. Constructed in 1992 using the city's newly instated 1 cent sales tax, Fire S...

News Briefs (Feb. 14, 2015)Senior Networking Group lunch, meeting The River Valley Senior Networking Group lunch and meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the Pope County Senior Wellness and Activity Center. The meeting will begin at noon. Anyone interested in serving the needs of seniors in the River Valley area is invited. For more information, contact Lori Kamerling at (479) 967-9300 or email lkamerling@seniorspecialists.org. Pope County Library Board meet...

A canine event to fight cancerA special canine event is scheduled for March 7, when the American Cancer Society’s “Bark for Life” 5k is held at Bona Dea Trails. The event, which is a fundraiser for this spring’s River Valley Relay for Life, will be held from 9-11 a.m. Awards will be given to the best couple’s time for dog and human, best single time for human alone and best couple’s costume for dog and human. “We are inviting everyone to grab their best fur friend and join...

Teachers watch out for smartwatchesSmart student? Try smartwatch. Although Apple won't begin selling its smartwatch until April, high school and college students are already learning how to take advantage of the technology. Arkansas River Valley administrators admit the computerized wristwatches aren't common among students, but the technological advancement has made them think twice about their cell phone policy. With the capability of a smartphone on their wrists, schools nat...

Pottsville approves $71,500 equipment purchasePOTTSVILLE — The City Council approved purchasing a new backhoe loader during a special meeting last week at Pottsville City Hall. Mayor Jerry Williams said he called the meeting because the current backhoe loader was in poor shape. "This is one we put off for a long time," Mayor Jerry Williams said. "We finally felt like we had to purchase one." Williams said it would take about $20,000-$30,000 to fix the current backhoe loader, so the counci...

Atkins’ enrollment increasesATKINS — Superintendent Mark Gotcher told the Atkins Board of Education during its regular meeting that enrollment was up slightly in January. "The board has charged me with providing a monthly attendance report in response to our declining enrollment that has occurred this [school] year," Gotcher said after the meeting. By the end of January, enrollment was 992 students, up from 990 at the end of December. The board approved seeking video sur...

Scheide's Southern Drift more than a homework assignmentPOTTSVILLE — Pottsville High School senior Mikayla Scheide has applied her education outside the classroom. Scheide is involved in the Future Business Leaders of America, Beta Club, Student Council and Student Representatives, and she has already committed to the University of Central Arkansas, where she will study business management and marketing. Scheide already has more experience in the clothing field than most her age since she started h...

Lamar extends principal contractsLAMAR — The Lamar Board of Education extended the contracts of its principals during its meeting Monday. A unanimous vote renewed the contracts of Lamar Elementary School Principal Pamala Terry, Lamar Middle School Principal Lance Spence and Lamar High School Principal Charles Harris for the 2015-16 school year. In other action, the board approved: • The transfer of one student from Clarksville to Lamar, two students from Russellville to Lamar...

Dugger's contract extendedPOTTSVILLE — Superintendent Larry Dugger's contract was extended through the 2017-18 school year by a unanimous vote from the Pottsville Board of Education at the high school library Thursday. "It's a pleasure to work here," Dugger said. He has served the district since 2006. Dugger said the district will seek an outside food service provider, which places Pottsville in the same field as the Russellville School District in terms of advertising...

Bond hearings (Feb. 13)The following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Friday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear March 30 in Circuit Court. • James Followill, 30, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance — $7,500. Followill sold less than 4 grams of methamphetamine to an informant with the Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force on two occasions in March ...

Committee ponders food truck regulationsThe committee tasked with drafting an ordinance regarding food truck regulations discussed what constitutes a food truck during its first meeting this week. City Planner David Harris said if the operation stays in one spot, it is not a portable food truck, regardless of its capability to move. "They're not temporary if they stay for months and months or however long," he said. "The fact that you could pull up and drive away — it's only theoret...

Attorney General and special agent teach Pottsville employeesMore than 200 Pottsville School District employees were trained how to avoid, deny and defend in emergency situations during a specialized training course Friday. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and special agent Jeremiah Terrell visited the district to "teach the school faculty how to respond during active threats to the school setting, and how to handle the situation until police arrive," Rutledge said. Rutledge said after Terrell taught an...

Vidovic to offer classical guitar performance at ATUAna Vidovic will make her second consecutive appearance as the featured performer in the Arkansas Tech University Classical Guitar Series on Tuesday, Feb. 17. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. in the Doc Bryan Student Services Center Lecture Hall at 1605 Coliseum Drive. Admission will be free and open to the public. This is the fourth year for the Arkansas Tech Classical Guitar Series. Previous performers have included Peter Fletcher in 2012, G...

Painting royaltyDwight Elementary School first graders took a field trip Thursday morning to Paint With Lane at the Russellville City Mall where the girls painted princesses and the boys painted princes.

Shoptaw remains on commissionThe Pope County Election Commission’s (PCEC) reappointment of members is now complete after a shift in power from the November general election forced the commission to change from one Republican representative to two and from two Democratic representatives to one. Carol Shoptaw returned as the commission’s Democratic representative and joins Republican representatives Portia Short and Freddie Harris, as well as Election Coordinator Sherry Pol...

Yell approves two budget ordinancesDANVILLE — The Yell County Quorum Court approved two ordinances related to its general budget on Monday at the Yell County Courthouse. Yell County Judge Mark Thone said an ordinance to amend the 2013 county general budget and the 2015 county general budget were approved. “Both were passed,” Thone said. “One closed out last year, and the other was a basic ordinance about the budget for this year.” In the ordinance concerning the 2013 budget, th...

Orbit Lane Trail to open in AprilThe Russellville Recreation and Parks Commission discussed the opening of Orbit Lane Trail during its meeting Tuesday at the Hughes Center. Director Mack Hollis said the trail is nearly complete and will be open to the public in April. "It's pretty much ready to use now, but it's not completed. We still have about 1,700 feet to set up and asphalt. I've contacted a company about putting a stripe down the middle," Hollis said. "I would think it ...

Aldermen hear about unsightly properties, catsATKINS — First-term Alderman Stephen “Bro” Price told the Atkins City Council on Tuesday that he is “sickened” every time he drives out of and comes into town. “It definitely looks bad for our city, I think,” he said about homes and properties located at 1007 W. Main Street (U.S. Highway 64 West) and 509 Southwest 1st Street. “There’s a lot more in this city, but that would be a start.” Alderwoman Joann Spence told Price the first thing to do ...